Ling Hua left the Inheritance Hall and headed straight for the Treasury Hall, where the great elder would explain the duties expected of him from now on..
The moment he arrived, he found the elder seated in his chair, his usual spectacles on his nose, his hunched back standing as silent testimony to the countless years that had passed over this man. His father had told him before that this elder was the oldest living member of the Yuan generation — older even than the ancestor himself, despite belonging to the same generation, by roughly ten years — which was why everyone held him in such reverence.
Ling Hua pressed his fist to his chest in the customary greeting and said, "Greetings, Second Elder. This young one has just joined the family, and I hope you'll light the way for him."
The elder's eyes shifted behind his spectacles, studying Ling Hua in silent scrutiny, then after a moment said, "Welcome to the family, little one. The ancestor has told me about you."
Ling Hua replied respectfully, "It is an honor to join my family. Thank you for your attention, Elder."
Not a trace of movement crossed the Second Elder's frozen features. "Then answer me — you've come today to receive your cultivation resources, haven't you?"
Ling Hua nodded. "Yes."
The elder went to one of his drawers and returned carrying a pouch in one hand and a small talisman in the other, saying, "Here — these are your resources: ten jin of spiritual rice, five spirit stones, and two early-first-stage talismans."
The elder gave him no chance to respond, cutting him off before he could speak, and held out the talisman. "But before you receive your resources, you must let a drop of your blood fall on this talisman — it's the mark of your identity within the Treasury, and I recognize no other. If you lose it, that's no concern of mine."
Ling Hua was taken aback by the elder's severity; he'd expected warm, preferential treatment as a family member, only to be met with this unexpected coldness.
"Hmph."
The elder snorted, as though reading the boy's thoughts, his expression as stern as it had been since he entered the hall, and said, "Rules are rules. True, your roots rival the ancestor's own — surpassing even the patriarch's — but know that this family stands on strict rules, and without them it would have vanished centuries ago, little one."
Ling Hua bowed quickly. "This young one apologizes for his ignorance — forgive me, Elder, if I've caused any misunderstanding." He bit his finger at once and let a drop of blood fall onto the talisman, which lit up, a single digit glowing at its center: zero.
Ling Hua stared at that small glowing number for a moment. Zero. He hadn't expected his life within the Sui family to begin with this particular number. But he felt no discouragement — quite the opposite. He committed the shape of the number to memory before raising his eyes back to the elder.
The elder said, "Don't worry — this is a misunderstanding we should dispel right away, and it's best clarified from the start so it won't recur." He glanced at the talisman and continued, "This talisman functions as your coin purse — within the family, we don't deal in spirit stones for internal transactions. These points serve as a balance you can spend on whatever training resources you need from the Treasury. Any other questions, little one?"
Ling Hua added, "And how do I earn them, Elder? Since my balance, as you can see, is zero."
The elder answered patiently. "You can earn points several ways. I'll start with the first and most direct — the family posts tasks on that board over there. Each task carries its own requirements, and members choose whichever suits their strength and carry it out, earning points from the family in return."
Ling Hua asked, "And the other way?"
The Second Elder said, "To bring in resources you find and sell them to the family for points — though the price runs about five percent below market value. In exchange, though, you gain access to resources not available outside the family."
Ling Hua nodded in understanding and continued, "Is there yet another way, Elder?"
The eldest elder replied, "Yes, the last one, practiced by nearly everyone — farming the spiritual fields. The profits are good, but only over the long term."
Ling Hua asked, puzzled, "Could you explain how it works?"
The elder said, "It comes down to tending a spiritual field through cultivation. Every two years, once the rice — or whatever's been planted — matures, the family and the member settle accounts together: the family takes ninety percent, and the member takes his own share, which he can either sell to the family for points or consume himself to aid his own cultivation."
Ling Hua balked at the ratio. "Ninety percent for the family?"
The elder raised his eyes to him. "Do you find that excessive?"
He answered hesitantly, "Yes, Elder — forgive me for saying so, but don't you find it an unjust split?"
The wrinkles on the elder's face contracted, and he said calmly, "That's only natural — a farmer's job is nothing more than tending the spiritual plant; everything else, the family provides. And that ten percent is simply the price of his labor. Do you see any injustice in that, little one?"
Ling Hua was enlightened. "No, no — I wouldn't dare say such a thing again. Forgive my insolence, Elder. It's a fair system, profitable for both sides. Could you, Elder, explain how I might do this myself as well?"
The elder's features eased, settling back into their usual state. "You gain that privilege once you learn the Spiritual Rain talisman, to water your crops. But before any of that, you must first reach the first level of Qi Refining — mortals lack the strength to turn over the hardened spirit soil and plant crops."
Ling Hua bowed his head and pressed his hands together toward the elder in polite farewell. "This young one thanks you, Elder, for giving him part of your time to explain all of this."